2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schwickrath
A German surname indicating a place of origin near woods or forests.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Schwickrath. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schwickrath surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Schwickrath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwickrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schwickrath
The surname Schwickrath has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the old German words "schwick" and "rath," which together could have meant something along the lines of "quick advisor" or "swift counsel." Alternatively, it may have originated from a place name containing these root words, though no definitive records have been found to confirm this.
One of the earliest known references to the name Schwickrath can be found in the village records of Bingen am Rhein, a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. In a document dated 1587, a certain Johannes Schwickrath is mentioned as a landowner in the area. This suggests that the name was already established in this region by the late 16th century.
As the years passed, the name Schwickrath began to appear in various records across different parts of Germany. In the 17th century, a family by the name of Schwickrath is said to have settled in the town of Siegen, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This branch of the family is believed to have played a significant role in the local metalworking industry, which was a prominent trade in Siegen at the time.
One notable individual with the surname Schwickrath was Friedrich Schwickrath, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1772 to 1834. He is best known for his work on the philosophy of aesthetics and his contributions to the field of art criticism.
In the 19th century, a man named Johann Schwickrath (1835-1901) gained prominence as a talented sculptor and artist. Born in the city of Cologne, his works were widely acclaimed and can still be found in various museums and public spaces throughout Germany.
Another significant figure was Elisabeth Schwickrath (1871-1947), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools for girls in her hometown of Bonn and was instrumental in promoting equal educational opportunities for women in Germany during the early 20th century.
As the Schwickrath name spread across different regions of Germany, it also saw variations in spelling, such as Schwikerath, Schwikrath, and Schwikerat. However, the original form of Schwickrath remained the most commonly used throughout history.
While the surname Schwickrath may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the 16th century and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schwickrath
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwickrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Schwickrath bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Schwickrath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 99
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schwickrath
Schwickrath appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-13 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,192 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,970 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 24,192 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 4,970 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Schwickrath surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #156,005 | 3.1% |
| Count | 100 | 99 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schwickrath bearers went from 100 to 99 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,970 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #156,005.
FAQ
Schwickrath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schwickrath?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Schwickrath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Schwickrath?
Schwickrath ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99 people with the surname Schwickrath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Schwickrath.
Has Schwickrath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schwickrath went from 100 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Schwickrath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schwickrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Schwickrath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schwickrath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Schwickrath (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Schwickrath mean?
A German surname indicating a place of origin near woods or forests. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Schwickrath (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Schwickrath?
See how many Americans have the surname Schwickrath on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.